Covid-19: Qld records 784 new Covid cases, testing capacity to be increased on Gold Coast
Mayor Tom Tate questions how the Premier could claim “no-one estimated 400,000 people would apply to come to Queensland” at holiday time. It comes as 784 new Covid-19 cases were recorded.
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Mayor Tom Tate questions how the Premier could claim “no-one estimated 400,000 people would apply to come to Queensland” at holiday time.
Annastacia Palaszczuk made the comment when questioned at Monday’s Covid update about lengthy testing queues for travellers.
The strict travel requirements for interstate visitors to Queensland have thrown holiday plans into chaos as thousands are forced to wait – in some cases – up to six hours in Covid testing queues. Businesses and essential services have seen staff rosters decimated under other rules requiring seven-day quarantine periods for close contacts.
Mr Tate fumed: “No one should be surprised by the huge travel demand.
“For months leading in to the December reopening, every national travel website showed the Gold Coast was the number one place-of-choice for Aussies.
“The memories - both positive and negative - people take away have a huge bearing on our long-term reputation as a safe, welcoming destination.”
Mr Tate is urging a wind back of restrictions, saying it’s “time to end scaremongering”.
He welcomed the Premier’s vow to review a controversial PCR test requirement but said more changes were needed sooner rather than later.
“In 2019 before Covid, Queensland lost five lives a week through a major flu outbreak. Throughout the 22 months of Covid, I believe we have lost seven lives and while every life is precious, they are the facts,” he said.
“Even the Chief Health Officer is stating the current spread of the virus across Queensland is what was expected and is manageable.”
Mr Tate said Coasters had done the right thing by getting vaccinated and urged the government to reward them.
“There has to be a reward. We should scrap the PCR testing now, adopt (quicker) rapid antigen testing immediately, and remove border checks.”
A spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk said the 400,000 figure was the number of border passes applied for since December 13: “They include only travellers from interstate hotspots who require passes.
“They don’t include travellers from other parts of the country where the pass is not required.”
Last year, the Bulletin reported Tourism and Events Queensland research showed 86 per cent of interstate arrivals were from NSW and Victoria.
On Monday, Ms Palaszczuk said health authorities were “carefully” looking into mandatory day five polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing requirements for hot spot travellers – and if speedier rapid antigen tests (RAT) could be used instead: “We’ll be able to update you in the next 24 to 48 hours.”
Queensland Airports boss Chris Mills welcomed the test requirement review but said it had not slowed airport passenger numbers: “I’m very happy with the passenger numbers since the border has opened, People are keen to travel despite the challenges with PCR testing.We look forward to potential easing of testing requirements in (2022).”
Mr Mills said the Gold Coast had experienced few flight cancellations compared to other routes.
Meanwhile, police confirmed eight sworn officers and one civilian worker had tested positive to Covid, with about half of those at Surfers Paradise police station.
Just over a dozen officers remain in isolation across the Gold Coast.
The officers who have contracted the virus are recovering well and their symptoms are mild, police said.
DECEMBER 27
The state government failed to predict the massive influx of tourists over Christmas, as Mayor Tom Tate backs calls to scrap PCR testing.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced 784 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, but just four people were in hospital with the virus.
The Premier announced testing capacity would be increased on the Gold Coast and various other parts of Queensland, and that children aged 5-11 can be vaccinated from January 10.
She said extensive testing showed the smaller dose of Pfizer given to children was safe.
Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said none of the 784 cases were in intensive care units (ICU) and only one man, 85, with various other medical conditions was moderately to severely ill from the virus.
There was 3621 active coronavirus cases in Queensland and Omicron has overtaken Delta as the dominant variant, making up about 75 per cent of the cases.
Ms Palaszczuk said hospitals were coping with the influx since the border reopened earlier this month.
“We are not seeing massive impacts on our hospitals … but we are monitoring this very closely,” she said.
Ms Palaszcuk acknowledged reports of lengthy wait times at testing sites – and delays receiving results – and said “we are increasing capacity”.
“The issue is some of the private clinics have actually shut down over the Christmas and New Year period," she said.
“That’s why our testing clinics are going to ramp up over that period.
“Once we get through New Year’s we’ll pretty much be back to normal.”
POLICING HIT BY COVID IN SURFERS: ‘IT’S FLUID’
Ms Palaszczuk said health authorities were “very carefully” looking into mandatory day five polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing requirements for hot spot travellers – and whether speedier rapid antigen tests (RAT) could be used instead.
“We’ll be able to update you on that in the next 24 to 48 hours,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said “no-one estimated 400,000 people would apply to come to Queensland”.
“Everybody knew when they booked a ticket to come here that they would have to adhere by having that PCR test,” she said.
“As the world is moving towards rapid antigen tests, that is something we are closely looking at and we’ll be guided by the chief health officer.
“We’re looking at still at the 1st of January in relation to whether we can do the rapid antigen testing rather than the PCR.”
The Covid-19 update came as reports emerged waiting times for Queensland Health and private pathology Covid-19 test results have blown out to three days or more, interfering with the Christmas plans of some Queenslanders.
Cr Tate took aim at the Premier’s comments, and said it was “time to end the scaremongering” and called on the government to wind back restrictions.
While Cr Tate welcomed Ms Palaszczuk’s vow to review PCR test requirements, he said more changes were needed — and soon.
“This Omicron strain appears more infectious yet less potent than other variants,” he said.
“Even the Chief Health Officer is stating that the current spread of the virus across Queensland is what was expected and is manageable.”
Cr Tate said Gold Coasters had done the right thing by getting vaccinated and urged the government to reward them.
“For almost two years, the overarching state and national message has been: if we all unite and get vaccinated, we can beat this together,” he said.
“Gold Coasters, Queenslanders and Australians did that in droves and almost 90 percent are now double vaccinated and the booster shot program is being well received.
“There has to be reward for doing the right thing so my opinion is, we should scrap the PCR testing now, adopt rapid antigen testing immediately, and remove the border checks.
“That will give our tourism and business sectors the confidence they need.
“2022 should be the Year of No Borders…now is the time to return Australia to a country with no internal borders.”
Gold Coast-based federal Employment Minister Stuart Robert, a critic of the Premier, backed the Mayor’s calls.
“There is nothing stopping (Ms Palaszczuk) scrapping PCR for travel right now,” he said.
“There is no requirement from (The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee) to use PCR.
“This directive from Qld is now seeing people in ACT looking to come north not being able to get tested.”
Queensland recorded 714 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday and 765 on Saturday.
Of the cases on Sunday, seven people were in hospital. No one was in ICU or on a ventilator.
New South Wales has recorded 6324 new Covid-19 cases and three more deaths, while some restrictions have been reintroduced.
NSW Health stated 52 people were in hospital with the virus and 55 patients were in ICU.
Victoria has recorded 1999 new cases and three deaths, with 368 people in hospital and 80 in ICU.
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